what happens without teeth cleanings?

I have a 12-yr old miniature poodle. Since he is too old to get anesthesia
for teeth cleanings, I was wondering what the risks are of him getting some
sort of gum disease. We tried brushing his teeth before and he hated it, but
I might be willing to try it again if the risks are grave. I gave him
greenies before and he liked them, but I'm not sure I want to do that again
after reading the stories.

I have a 12-yr old miniature poodle. Since he is too old to get anesthesia
for teeth cleanings, I was wondering what the risks are of him getting
some
sort of gum disease. We tried brushing his teeth before and he hated it,
but
I might be willing to try it again if the risks are grave. I gave him
greenies before and he liked them, but I'm not sure I want to do that
again
after reading the stories.

Age doesn't necessarily predict ability for a dog to handle modern
anesthesia. Many oldster undergo dentals as long as their preanesthetic
blood work and ecg indicate healthy kidneys, other organs and heart.

Gum disease and bacteria assicated can cause heart disease, infections
within the body and certainly major discomfort.

What has your vet recommended for your particular dog?

You might want to ask you vet about OraVet. You apply it to your dog's teeth
and gums once a week. It's not a substitute for a professional cleaning or
for regular brushing, but it works great ( in my experience) for reducing
periodontal problems.

We have an 8 year old miniature poodle who was having pretty bad problems,
including several tooth extractions, even with regular brushing and periodic
scaling. His mouth is much better and no teeth have been pulled since we
started him on OraVet 2 years ago.
(I have no conection to OraVet other than being a happy customer.)

Rick


"Michael Linford" wrote in message
. ..
I have a 12-yr old miniature poodle. Since he is too old to get anesthesia
for teeth cleanings, I was wondering what the risks are of him getting
some
sort of gum disease. We tried brushing his teeth before and he hated it,
but
I might be willing to try it again if the risks are grave. I gave him
greenies before and he liked them, but I'm not sure I want to do that
again
after reading the stories.